Timer brush



June 5. 1928.

C. V C. PHILLIPS TIMER BRUSH Filed June 1, 1925 INVEN TOR Charles 0. Plump:

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 5 1928.

U TED- TA CHARLES C. I PHILLIPS, or DETROIT; micHmAN.

Applicatibn filed June 1, 1825. Serial No. 33,920.

My invention relates to a new and useful improven' entin a timer, brush, and has for its object, the provis on of a timer brush,

adapted foruse with the ignition system of automobilesand the like, wherein the brush portion-isafforded a sufiicientcontact with.

I .the shaft upon which mounted.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a timer brush mounted on a sleeve carried by. a rotating shaft and so arranged and constructed and mounted on said sleeve,

2 r as to maintain said sleeve in close connec- I tion, at all times, to provide an. eflicientconv ductorfrom said shaft to saidbrush.

- Another object of the invention is the pro- Q vision of a timer brush of the class described,

having means for retaining the brush porv tion in outwardly extended position, relav tively to the shaft upon which mounted, and

necting the brush to said shaft.

' Another object of theinvent-ion is the provision of a vtimer brush having a sleeve adapted for mountingon a shaft and provided with resilient means for maintaining the brush in outwardly extending position, relatively to said sleeve, and for projecting through said sleeve, and contacting with saidshaft, for establishing an eflicient electrical connection between said brush and said shaft.-

Other objectswill appear hereinafter. The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter de- Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention, I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on substantially line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The invention is adapted for use with a timer, having a housing 9 provided with the terminals 10, which are electrically connected with the brush contacts on the inner surface of the housing 9. A shaft 11, is pro jected through the housing and used for rotating the timer brush in the customary preferably ,made from a stamping, sleeve .12 and the knuckles 1 1 being struck for affording a means, of electrically con-.

. manner. Mounted on the shaft 11 and suitably keyed, torotate-therewith is a sleeve 12 having a peripheral slot 13 formed therein. Projecting outwardly from the sleeve 12 and preferably ;made integral therewith are knuckles l i, which are spaced apart and adapted for receiving knuckles 15 formed on the brush arm 16. The sleeve ,12 is the from a single blank.v However, this sleeve niay also be formed from suitable cast metal if desired. The knuckles 15 are I also integralwith the arm 16, these knuckles and this arm beingstruck from a single blank. Pro]ecting from one side of the knuckles 15 is a heel 17 of the arm 16. The

end of the arm 16 is formed arcuate, as at 18, to provide a brush or contacting portion. A suitable pintle 19 is projected through the knuckles 14 and 15 to retain the arm 16 in pivotal relation to the sleeve 12. Coiled upon the pintle 19 is a spring wire 20, one end 21 of which is adapted for engaging the arm 16 to retain the same in outwardl pressed position, relatively to the sleeve 12,

"so that the heel 17 is in engagement with the periphery of the sleeve 12. The opposite end 22 of the spring 20 is adapted to register with the slot 13, and to lie therein. The construction is such that when the sleeve 12 is positioned on the shaft 11, the end 22 of the spring will engage against the periphery of the shaft 11, this engagement being a olose'one, resulting from the tension of the spring.

When the sleeve 12 is mounted on the shaft 11, and secured thereto, by the washer 24 and the nut 25, which are of conventional construction, the spring 22 engaging against the shaft 11 will serve to retain the inner surface of the sleeve 12, which is diametrically opposite the slot 13 in close engagement with the periphery of the shaft 11, the end 22 of the spring serving as a lever to press the sleeve into close engagement with the periphery of said shaft 11. In this way, a direct connection is made between the shaft 11 and the arms 16, through the spring 20 and its ends 21 and 22. Consequently, irrespective as to the play between the sleeve 12 and the shaft 11, a contact for conducting electricity is always maintained between the sleeve 12 and the shaft 11, and between the arm 16 and the shaft 11. It will be noted that in this structure, the connection between the arm 16 and the shaft ll-is a direct one, as the current is permitted to pass di rectly from the shaft 11 through .the ends 22 and 21 of the spring 20,to thearms' 16.

This construction is one'which 1 renders a connection of the highest degree of eificiency,

and has proved most practical in actual operation. It will also ibenoted that if the shaft 11 does not run true in its journals the connection between the arm 16 "and this shaft 11 will still bemaintained.

In F i g.4,1 have shown amodified form of the invent-ion, in which the'sl'eeve 12 is-not proyided'with thep'eripher-al slot 13; In

this form, the end QQ Of the spring engages against the'peri-phery of the sleeve 12.

d When the contact portion 18 of the-arm 16 is in engagement with the innerxsurface of the housing 9, soas't-o perform 1ts function as" a rbrush,-'to establish theconnections at periodic times, in accordance with the desired operation of the timer, the portion 22 cf the spring will be under considerable tension, WhlCll'Wll'l'CQIJSBtlIG sleeve 123110. be

pressed tightly against the periphery of the shaft 11, at one-side, should there beany play between the sleeve and the shaft. In-

the specific arrangement and structure of the preferred form, but because of the strain between the several'parts, effects a result tantamount to adirect connection.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of structure, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail my self of such Variations and modifications as "come within the scope of the appended claim.

hat I claim is ,A timer brush .of the -class described adapted for mounting on a rotatable shaft com-prisinga strip of metal curled-to form anopen knuckle, said open knuckle being of size sufficient for the snug reception of said shaft, one end of said knuckle being radially outwardly turned and centrally notched toprovide a pair of spaced tongues,

each of said spaced tongues being'jcurled to form knuckles; a contact arm haying tongues cut from its edges and curled to form knuckles for engaging between said first mentioned knuckles, one end "of Said arm being form-ed substantially-semi-circular for providing a contacting surfaceand the other end projecting rearwardly for proi iding an abutment end; and resilient means for normally retaining said abutment end in engagement with said open knuckle. In testimony whereof I foregoing specification;

7 CHARLES C. PHILLIPS.

have signed the 

